Envelope with fly for detachment and insertion therein



A g- 8, 1 w. L HIERSTEINER 3,334,806

ENVELOPE WITH FLY FOR DETACHMENT AND INSERTION THEREIN Filed Oct. 22, 1965 ki l fao nyvENTorg.

Wa/fer L. H/ersTe/r/er' 1 v //I r I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,334,806 ENVELOPE WITH FLY FOR DETACHMENT AND INSERTION THEREIN Walter L. Hiersteiner, Mission, Kans., assignor to Tension Envelope Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,322 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-70) This invention relates to an envelope having an attached fly that is detachable for insertion into the pocket of the envelope for mailing.

Envelopes of this character are used by large organizations to solicit business by way of coupons, the coupon or coupons being printed on the fly. Specifically, the fly extends integrally from one edge of one panel of the envelope, and is usually folded at the point of attachment to lie flatly against one or the other panels of the envelope. This has necessitated that the panels be directly connected at the edge of the fly by adhesive to close that edge of the pocket. The adhesive materially reduces the size of the pocket, consequently, for insertion of the fly into the pocket without folding thereof, the fly can be no larger than the size of the pocket. However, most users desire that the fly be of larger size, and in many instances the fly should cover the full area of the panel against which it is folded.

Also, when the fly is attached to the side edge of a panel, the envelopes are objectionable since the adhesive has little or no thickness, and the panels at the side edge of the pocket are held in close contact by the adhesive. Consequently, it is difficult to insert the fly, particularly when the adhesive is at the side edge of the pocket. Therefore, the fly must be even narrower than the width of the pocket in order to slide easily thereinto. The result has been that such envelopes as heretofore constructed have not been particularly desirable, and businesses soliciting orders by coupons have mainly used ordinary return envelopes, with separate coupons. But this is also objectionable because of the greater costs involved in separately handling the envelopes and coupons, and also additional costs in manufacture and stufling of the coupons into the mailing envelopes, to get the return envelope and separate coupons into the hands of possible customers.

Therefore, objects of the present invention are to provide an envelope with an attached fly that is easier to insert into the pocket of the envelope even when the fly is substantially the length and Width of the front and back panels of the envelope, and to provide a pocket of corresponding width and length as the fly, whereby the fly covers substantially the entire area of the panel of the envelope against which it is folded, and may also be inserted into the envelope without folding the fly.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an envelope construction wherein the sides of the pocket constitute folds down which the side edges of the fly are easily guided.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, improved structure is provided as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention, and showing the attached fly in its preferably folded position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the closure flap open and the fly partly detached, portions of the envelope being broken away to better illustrate the construction.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the insertion of the detached fly into the pocket of the envelope.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section through the envelope, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, showing the preferred folded-over position of the fly.

FIG. 5 is a similar cross section showing the fly in position within the pocket of the envelope.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates an envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention, and which includes substantially rectangular front and back panels 2 and 3 connected together by a fold 4, whereby the back panel 3 overlies the front panel 2, with the panels having substantially the same length and width. The side of one of the panels opposite the fold, for example, the front panel 2, is provided with an inturned flap 5 extending between the panels 2 and 3 to be lapped by the panel 3 and providing a fold 6 in cooperation with the fold 4 for closing the sides of an envelope pocket 7. The contacting faces of the back panel 3 and the side flap are secured together by a stripe of adhesive 8. In the illustrated instance, one of the panels, for example, the panel 2, has a bottom flap 9 folded over the bottom edge of the panel 3 on a transverse fold 10 to make contact with the outer face of the panel 3 and avoid interference with the inturned side flap. The contacting faces of the bottom flap 9 and back panel 3 are sealed by a transverse stripe of adhesive 11, to complete closure ofthe pocket 7 except for an'insert opening 12 along the upper edges of the panels 2 and 3.

The upper edge of the front panel 2 is provided with a closure flap 13, carrying adhesive 14. The closure flap is adapted to be folded over on a line of fold 15 to close the insert opening and to seal with the back panel 3 when the envelope is to be used for retaining an insert in the pocket.

In carrying out the invention, the edge 16 of the back panel 3 which extends along the fold 6 has an extension 17 to provide a rectangular fly or panel 18 which may have substantially the same length and width as the panels 2 and 3, in that the upper and lower edges 19 and 20 can register, respectively, with the upper edge 21 and the bottom fold 10 when the panel is folded over the front face of the back panel, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, on a fold 22. Extending along the fold 22 is an easy line of tear provided by, for example, a line of perforations 23.

The panel 18 constitutes the insert for the present envelope, and in the illustrated instance is of a width and length substantially corresponding to the width and depth of the pocket. The fly may be printed according to the intended use of the envelope, for example, with a coupon or coupons 24. The printing or the coupons may completely occupy one face of the panel so as to suit the requirement of organizations which solicit business by way of coupons. The rear face of the fly may be printed for the user. The printing, such as a letter or explanation of the coupons, may carry over to the outer face of the back panel 3, while the front face of the front panel is printed with the name and address of the organization soliciting the business.

The envelopes are supplied by the manufacturer with the closure fl'ap 13 folded on the line of fold 15 to lie flatly against the face of the back panel 3 without sealing thereof, and the fly 18 is folded over the back panel 3 in overlying relation with the closure flap 13, as shown in FIG. 1. Where more than one couponis provided, as shown in FIG. 1, the coupons may be separated by lines of perforations 25 and 26, although it is expected that all of the coupons may be returned in the envelope. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the fly is printed with a single coupon.

When the fly 18 is detached along the line of perforations 23 and the senders name and address filled in on lines 27 on the face side opposite the coupon, the user slips the coupon through the insert opening 12 and into the pocket 7, with the edges 29 and 30 sliding downwardly within the folds 6 and 4 until the bottom edge 20 seats within the fold 10 of the bottom flap 9. The upper edge 19 is then substantially in alignment with the fold line 15 of the closure flap 13, so that the adhesive 14 on the closure flap 13 may be moistened and folded over and sealed to the back panel, enclosing the coupon for mailing.

While the drawing illustrates that the side flap is the inturned flap 5 and the fly is attached to the side edge of the back panel, the bottom flap might be the inturned flap and the fly attached to the lower edge of the back panel. Also, the fly may be folded over to cover either one of the front or back panels, in which case the coupon is always printed on the outer face of the fly, so that the entire coupon is visible. Another feature of the invention is that when the fly is folded over the closure flap, the coupon is fully exposed to view.

The arrangement of the side and bottom flaps leaves one edge of the back panel open to carry the fly, and also the inturned flap provides a full width pocket to contain the fly when it is detached. The folds at the sides of the envelope also provide easy guides for the side edges of the fly, as shown in FIG. 3.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An envelope having substantially rectangular front and back panels connected together by a fold to overlie each other and to close one side of a pocket between said panels,

a side flap extending along the opposite side of one of the panels opposite the side fold and turned inward'ly between said panels,

adhesive sealing the inturned side flap to the overlying edge of the other of said panels to close that side of the pocket,

a closure flap on the upper edge of said one panel and folded over the corresponding .edge of the other panel to close an insert opening to said pocket,

a bottom fl'ap on the bottom edge of said one panel and having a fold to overlie the bottom edge of the other panel,

adhesive sealing said bottom flap to the said other panel for closing the bottom of the pocket,

an advertising flap integrally connected tothe side of said other panel which is sealed to the inturned side flap and having a fold coextensive with said connection to overlie the folded closure and bottom flaps,

and said advertising flap having an easy line of detachment coextensive with the told at said connection on which the advertising flap is detachable from the envelope.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. D. M. BOOKENEK, Assistant Examiner. 

